For many job hunters, the holiday
season is seen as a time for taking a break and putting job hunting
aspirations aside, under the mistaken notion that companies do not
fill new positions, other than seasonal workers, from late November
through early January.

The truth, however, is that job hunting
is often at its finest during the holiday season, with increased
opportunities for power networking and a unique avenue for securing
a place at the top of a company’s “call list.”

As companies realize underutilized
personnel budgets that if left unfilled will be lost, and as holiday
gatherings situate job hunters with the very people who can best
assist them, the holiday season can bring into focus a job
candidate’s opportunities like no other time of the year.

The fact that so many other potential
candidates are putting their job hunting efforts aside during the
holidays creates another advantage for the smart job hunter: it
clears the way for even greater opportunity with less competition.

How
can I take advantage of the holiday season to promote my job search
efforts?

The first step is to be prepared. You
want to have all your job search tools in place before accepting the
first holiday invitation.

Your resume should be up-to-date and
ready to submit. I can not tell you how many job hunters have said
to me, “I just made a great contact! This is exactly the type of job
I’ve been looking for. He/she wants me to submit my resume, ASAP,
but I need to get my resume written/updated, first.” While the job
candidate takes the time to get his or her information in order,
another, more prepared candidate has the opportunity to step up.

You should have a job hunting business
card created that will effectively promote your skills and talents,
as well as the benefits of hiring you. A job hunting business card
can be handed out to potential contacts in situations where
presenting a resume would be seen as inappropriate or inconvenient,
such as at holiday gatherings. A good job hunting business card will
also direct your recipient to your resume in a format that is easily
accessible, such as the URL for a
resume Web page or an
online PDF
file.

You should have your response to the
following question “What do you do?” prepared well in advance. If
you can only answer with a job title and/or company name, then your
answer is incomplete. If you are dissatisfied with your current work
or employer, and you allow your response to be colored with this
disappointment, you will leave your listener feeling ill-at-ease. If
your response is filled with hope and a need for rescue, then your
recipient may feel unnecessarily burdened.

A response to “What do you do?” should
suggest a sense of pride in your skills and abilities, and ought to
show how your work is part of a solution, i.e., how it benefits your
current employer or the clients the company serves. It should also
open the door for continued dialogue. You want to learn as much
about the person to whom you are speaking, as he or she may want to
learn about you. This is an opportunity to build rapport and foster
a new relationship, not gain an audience.

For the unemployed, the response to
“What do you do?” should indicate either what you have achieved in
the past, and/or what you believe you can achieve in the future.
Keep your response positive, and never – NEVER - say anything
negative about a previous employer. Even if you believe the person
to whom you are speaking is your previous employer’s greatest
competitor, what you may not know is that they are also weekend golf
buddies.

Accept as many invitations to network
during the holidays as your schedule will allow. This includes
holiday gatherings, opportunities to volunteer, attending
professional association events, participating in the local Chamber
of Commerce, and any other function where people gather.

Build an address book of network
contacts to whom you can send holiday greetings (cards). This means
collecting as many business cards as you hand out. Your holiday
cards should be nondenominational and sensitive to various cultures.
If you choose to use cards with a pre-printed signature, make sure
you write a short, personalized note within each and sign your name.
It is also better to handwrite the mailing address on the envelope,
rather than using a pre-printed label. Personalization is key.
Timing is also important, so mail your cards early in the season.

And finally, avoid the pitfalls of
overindulging during the holidays. Eat and drink in moderation, and
focus on putting your best foot forward.

For companies and individuals alike,
the holidays are a time for revisiting hopes and aspirations, and
reviewing past performance. As you begin to make your New Year’s
resolutions, and as you begin considering where your career may take
you next, appreciate that the holidays are a great time for
networking, building rapport and securing opportunities for the next
great position.

Good luck in your job search!
Sue Campbell,
1st-Writer.com - over 18 years
experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to
e-mail me
with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help!